UPSC Prelims 2026, Exam Pattern, Syllabus and Preparation Tips
Deeksha Dixit29 Aug, 2025
Share
UPSC Prelims 2026 exam date has been announced on the UPSC Calendar 2026, which will take place on May 24, 2026. In India, it is the first step in the selection process for a number of respected civil services, such ason the IAS, IPS, and IFS, among others. The UPSC Prelims exam is an objective test. The General Studies and Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) are its two main papers. The subjects covered in the General Studies paper are Indian history, geography, politics, economics, and science and technology.
The CSAT paper assesses the candidate's thinking, understanding, and decision-making abilities. To succeed in UPSC 2026 Prelims, it's crucial to understand the key aspects, such as the detailed syllabus, pattern, and structure of the question paper. Read on to learn about UPSC Prelims 2026 in detail.
UPSC Prelims 2026 Highlights
The UPSC Civil Service Prelims 2026 are scheduled for May 24, 2026.The Union Public Service Commission conducts the CSE and IFoS exams annually to recruit candidates for central services in three stages: Prelims, Mains, and the Interview. UPSC Prelims is the first and common stage of both exams and has two objective-type qualifying papers worth 200 marks each. UPSC Mains and Interviews for the IFoS exam are conducted separately from CSE. Here are key highlights:
| UPSC Prelims 2026 Highlights | |
| Particular | Detail |
| Exam Name | Civil Services and Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Exam 2026 |
| Authority | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Exam Mode | Pen and paper-based |
| Application Mode | Online |
| Exam Centres | 80 |
| Total Papers | Two, GS and CSAT |
| Total Marks | 200/Each |
| Duration | 2 Hours/Each |
| Nature of Exam | Qualifying |
| Exam Date | May 24 th, 2026 |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd |
| Official Website | upsc.gov.in |
UPSC Prelims 2026 Schedule
The UPSC Prelims exam date is 24th May 2026. With the exam approaching, candidates are encouraged to focus on their UPSC Prelims study plans. The notification for the exam will be released on January 14, 2026.The IAS Prelims 2026 exam date is as follows:
| UPSC Prelims 2026 Schedule | |
| Event | Information |
| Exam Date | 24 May 2026 |
UPSC Prelims Eligibility 2026
The UPSC Prelims is the first stage and only eligible candidates can apply for this stage. Candidates who have completed graduation and are not more than 32 years old are eligible for the IAS prelims exam. The UPSC Eligibility Criteria is as follows for future reference:
| UPSC Prelims Eligibility Criteria | |
| Particular | Detail |
| Nationality |
|
| UPSC Age Limit | Candidates must be between 21 to 32 years of age as of August 1st, 2026, with age relaxations applicable for certain categories (e.g., SC/ST, OBC) |
| Education | A candidate must hold a degree from a recognized university or equivalent. |
| Attempts Limit | General category candidates have six attempts, while OBC candidates have nine attempts. There are no limits for SC/ST candidates. |
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2026
The UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2026 has been detailed in the official notification. There will be two pen-and-paper-based papers conducted on the same day: GS 1 and CSAT. Since UPSC Prelims are qualifying in nature, candidates need to score minimum qualifying marks in both papers. Here is the UPSC exam pattern 2026 for Prelims :
- The question format is of the objective type in the UPSC preliminary exam.
- Candidates need to attempt 200 questions on each paper.
- The total duration of UPSC prelims is 4 hours, which is divided into two shifts.
- Generally, Paper 1 is General Studies, which is held in the morning shift, while Paper 2 is CSAT, which is held in the afternoon shift.
- The question paper is bilingual in Hindi and English.
- Candidates must score 33% in the CSAT exam; otherwise, their GS 1 score will not be considered.
| UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern | |||
| Paper | Total Questions | Total Marks | Negative Marking |
| General Studies Paper I | 100 | 200 | -0.66 marks |
| CSAT Paper II | 80 | 200 | -0.83 marks |
UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2026
UPSC has provided the syllabus for the IAS prelims exam in the official notification. Candidates need to refer to standard resources while preparing the UPSC Prelims Syllabus The question-paper-wise syllabus for UPSC prelims is as follows:
Paper I General Studies Syllabus:
- Current Affairs: Events of national and international importance.
- Geography of India and World: Physical, Economic, Social, Geography of India and the World.
- History: India History and Indian National Movement.
- Economic and Social Development: Social Sector Initiatives, Inclusion, Sustainable Development, Poverty, Demographics, etc.
- Indian Polity and Governance: Constitution of India, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Rights Issues, Public Policy, etc.
- Environment and Science: General Science, General issues on Environmental ecology, Climate Change, and Biodiversity.
Paper II CSAT Syllabus:
- Reading Comprehension: Interpersonal skills including communication skills
- Reasoning: Logical reasoning and analytical ability, decision-making, and problem-solving.
- General mental ability: Class X level topics on basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.)
- Data interpretation: Class X level charts, tables, graphs, data sufficiency, etc.
UPSC Prelims Previous Year Question Paper PDF
Previous years' UPSC Prelims question paper PDFs are invaluable resources for candidates preparing for the civil services and Indian forest service examinations. Candidates should make use of these PDFs to enhance their preparation and increase their chances of success in the UPSC Prelims 2026 exam. Candidates preparing for the next session are advised to download the UPSC Prelims Question Paper PDFs to identify important topics, understand the scope of the syllabus, and assess their own preparation level.UPSC Prelims Result 2026
The UPSC Prelims Result 2026 is expected to be announced a few weeks after the examination, which is scheduled for May 24, 2026. Candidates can check their results on the official UPSC website, where the results will be published in a PDF format listing the roll numbers of successful candidates. This result is crucial as it determines eligibility for the next stage of the selection process, the UPSC Mains examination.Also Read: UPSC Answer Key
UPSC Previous Year Cut Off
Candidates can go through previous years’ UPSC Prelims cutoffs to understand the trends and set realistic expectations for their performance. Analyzing past cutoffs helps candidates gauge the level of competition and the difficulty of the exam. Here is the official UPSC prelims cutoff for the last 5 years:| Previous Year UPSC Prelims Cut Off | |||||
| Year | General | EWS | OBC | SC | ST |
| 2023 | 75.41 | 68.02 | 74.75 | 59.25 | 47.82 |
| 2022 | 88.22 | 82.83 | 87.54 | 74.08 | 69.35 |
| 2021 | 87.54 | 80.14 | 84.85 | 75.41 | 70.71 |
| 2020 | 92.51 | 77.55 | 89.12 | 74.84 | 68.71 |
| 2019 | 98 | 90 | 95.34 | 82 | 77.34 |
| 2018 | 98 | - | 96.66 | 84 | 83.34 |
UPSC Prelims 2026 Preparation Tips
The UPSC preliminary stage is crucial, as candidates will not be allowed to attempt the mains exam without qualifying for this stage. This stage has evolved as an eliminator of non-serious candidates in recent years, as evidenced by the cutoff. Candidates nowadays struggle to qualify at this stage, even on the CSAT paper. Here are some tips for UPSC prelims exam preparation:- Make a daily schedule to study for the prelim exam.
- Have a good UPSC Booklist that covers the syllabus for CSE prelims.
- Solve UPSC Prelims Previous question papers to analyze exam and high-yield themes.
- Make short notes of recurring themes in the preliminary exam and focus on covering them.
- Study consistently and solve daily MCQs.
- Given sufficient time for CSAT preparation.
- Solve UPSC prelims exam test series until exam day and improve scores.
Need guidance for Prelims? Explore PW UPSC Courses now!
UPSC Prelims 2026 FAQs
What is the prelims exam in UPSC?
How many papers are there in UPSC prelims?
Is 2 months enough to prepare for UPSC Prelims?
How many months are sufficient to study for UPSC Prelims?
Is UPSC prelims easier than mains?
Live & recorded classes available at easeDashboard for progress trackingMillions of practice questions at your fingertips
